Free tips to fix the DVD playback problems occur on a computer

Many people may have encountered DVD playback problem when playing DVD on a computer. As long as the default settings in Windows Media Player no longer enable video DVD playback, you may have to take a few extra actions in order to play a DVD on a computer.

1. First, make sure that the computer’s optical drive is capable of reading DVD disk. Typically, the drive would be listed as “DVD-ROM”, “DVD R/RW” or similar under My Computer, and the DVD logo would appear on the drive itself.

2. If you see an error from Windows Media Player that says “compatible DVD decoder not installed,” that is to say an mpeg-2 decoder is needed to play DVDs and it is not installed yet. The Windows Media Player plug-in requires you to pay for it. However, the VLC Player is free and will enable you to play DVDs or any type of video file.

On Windows Vista Home Basic, Windows Vista Business, and Windows Vista Enterprise:
You may need to install a compatible DVD decoder (also known as a MPEG-2 decoder) to enable DVD playback.

Windows Vista Home Premium Edition, Windows Vista Ultimate Edition:
Using Windows Media Center, you can play audio and data CDs, as well as video and data DVDs. This lets you enjoy both commercial CDs and DVDs, as well as CDs and DVDs that you have created. To play DVDs, you must have a DVD drive and a compatible DVD decoder installed on your computer. A compatible DVD decoder is already installed on computers that include Windows Media Center.

On Windows 7:
All versions of Windows 7 include full DVD support via Windows Media Center.

On a Mac (OS X 10.0 – 10.5):
Use the preinstalled DVD player program to play DVDs. If the DVD does not show up on the desktop, get online support from Apple.

On Linux:
Use your DVD player of choice to play any DVD.

On a consumer DVD player:
Choose a proper DVD player can that perform DVD playback well. A program that is stable and powerful is preferred.